Rotary fluid motor



March 28, 1939. M. c, PERKINS ROTARY FLUID MOTOR Filed Aug. 25, 1937 3 Sheets-Shes;

March 28, 1939. c PE I 2,152,564

ROTARY FLUID MOTOR Filed Aug. 25, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 28, 1939. c PERK|NS 2,152,564

ROTARY FLU ID MOTOR Fild Aug. 25, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 52 4 32 m 4 Z; r /0 3'5 /0 4w '""Zb 2 '";'7-

.3 a 44 3 42 4/ 46 E 44 Z9 Z4 45' 37 1% 5a 37 Z 95 E /z 3" v 51 (to: M; 5'

Patented Mar. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,152,564 ROTARY FLUID Moron Mart C. Perkins, Casper, Wyo.

Application August 25, 1937, Serial No. 160,924

2 Claims.

all within a unitary housing. Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a vertical cross section showing the arrangement of the cylinders and abutments. Figure 2 is a fragmentary end elevation of one end of the engine. Figure 2 is a fragmentary end elevation of the opposite end of the engine. Figure 3 is a vertical section taken substantially through the center of the engine. Figure 4 is a transverse cross section of the piston corresponding to a section on line 44 of Figure 1. Figure 5 is an enlarged View showing the piston in greater detail. Figure 6 is a view of the power fluid valve viewed on the line 66 of Figure 7. Figure 7 is an enlarged view substantially on the line 1-1 of Figure 1. Figure 8 is a detail of the lubricating system.

The engine comprises a housing In having a toroidal cylinder H in the inner circumference l2 of which is rotatably mounted a ring gear or rotor 13. The ring gear or rotor I3 carries upon its periphery a plurality of pistons or vanes 14. At spaced points about the cylinder are located rotary abutments l5 each of which is recessed as at It. The remainder of the periphery of each abutment is provided with a plurality of gear teeth I! which mesh with gear teeth l8 of the ring gear. In operation the ring gear rotates in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 1 carrying with it the pistons 14 which are forced around through the toroidal cylinder by the power fluid and which nest successively within or pass through the respective recesses [6 of each abutment during the rotation of the engine.

Steam, compressed air or some other power fluid is admitted to the power fluid inlet box Is by means of the inlet ports 20. The disc valve 2| rotates about its shaft 22 to an appropriate point where the elongated arcuate port 23 Places the steam box or power fluid supply means l9 in communication with the port 24, which in turn is in communication with the cylinder 25 in which the abutment rotates through recess 16 at the time the piston I4 is passing out of the recess I6. Steam or other power fluid enters the cylinder through the space provided by the recess 16 of the rotary abutment and continues to fill up the space in the cylinder limited by the abutment at one end and the trailing face 26 of the piston [4 at the other end. The pitch circles of the gear teeth H on the abutment and I8 on the ring gear are so arranged that the pistons will successively engage the recess of each abutment. The continued movement of the abutment in a clockwise direction cuts oil the admission of steam and the expansion of the steam in the cylinder ll moves the piston l4 away from the abutment A toward the abutment B. When the piston clears the exhaust port 21, the expanded steam is re leased from the cylinder thereby allowing the piston to pass through the recess 5 of abutment B so that the cylinder will then receive a new supply of steam from the corresponding ports of abutment B and the piston will again be forced in a counterclockwise direction towards the abutment C during which the cycle of operation is repeated. This same action takes. place behind each piston and between each piston and abutment which it has just passed. In this manner a continuous series of power impulses are applied to the pistons which transmit the power in turn to the ring gear I3, which in turn transmits the power impulses to shaft 28 by means of a keyed driving connection 29. The number of teeth It on the ring gear is properly coordinated with the number of teeth on the periphery of the rotary abutment so that each piston will ride through the abutment recess as it passes the abutment. The opposed faces 26 and 30 of each piston are arranged with a contour corresponding to a tooth curve so that an accurate intermeshing of the piston and the abutment recess will be obtained.

The housing is preferably made in the form of opposed segments 3| and 32 providing the cylinder space for the rotary abutment and a segmental portion of the toroidal cylinder for the pistons. These portions of the housing are bolted together by appropriate securing means 33 and to that side portion of the housing in which the rotary abutment is mounted is secured by means 34 the power fluid supply means l9. For the purpose of simplifying and improving the engine the steam valve 2| and the abutment I5 are keyed to a shaft 22 at the points 35 and 36 respectively. In this manner the steam valve cooperates with the abutment to provide for the necessary inlet of the power medium. To operate the abutments oil grooves 65, 66 and 81.

tions forming an annular slot 42 in which is positioned a piston ring 43. The piston is assembled with the piston pin 44 projecting through the side walls 45 of the piston but terminating interiorly of the ring as at 46 in Figure 4, the pin passing through the opening 41 of the arm 31' giving the driving connection to the ring gear.

When the elements have all been assembled, they are appropriately secured together by means of a rivet 48.

In an engine of this type it is obviously necessary to provide appropriate lubrication and this is accomplished by a system now to be described. The entire housing of the engine is mounted upon supports 49 and the central portion of the housing is sealed by end members 58 and 5|. These members provide appropriate bearing portions 52 and 53 for the shaft and are in turn reinforced by a series of radial ribs 54 and 55. These members also enclose the ring gear within the housing. On the left end member 5| an annular flange 56 together with the sealing member 5'! provides an,

oil reservoir and an appropriate housing for the reciprocating lubricating pump 58. The bottom of this housing contains a body of lubricant 59 which is taken into the pump 58 by means of its inlet 60 and forced into the bearing system by the tube 6|. This latter tube is in communication with an annular oil groove 62 and shaft and by means of radial passages 63 is placed in communication with anaxially extending oil passage 84. The latter communicates with the various The oil groove 66 has further communication with an oil passage 61 passing through one or more of the spokes 68 of the ring gear and is placed in communication with the friction surfaces between the abutment and the housing at the point 1|. This alsosupplies lubricant to the intermeshing gear teeth in the neighborhood of the point 12. Lubrication for the bearings, rotary abutment and steam valve is provided by means of a series of tubes 13 carrying oil from the oil channel 61 to the center of the shaft 22. The latter shaft contains a central bore which is in communication with the bearings 15 and 16. It will be readily appreciated that the pump 58 maintains a continuous supply of lubricant as a result of the rotation of shaft 28. This is accomplished by the cam 71 which is. keyed to the shaft 28 by means of the key 18 which is either a direct connection from a cam wheel or which may be a connection by means of a collar which in turn carries the cam. The rotation of the cam TI forces the plunger in a radial direction against the opposition of the spring 8| and accomplishes the necessary operation of the pump 58.

The supply of oil in the system may be maintained by occasionally replenishing it through port .82. Loss of oil along the shaft is avoided by packings 83 secured in place by the packing rings 84. The plate 50 is secured to the housing by a series of bolts 85 and the plate 5| is secured to the housing by a. series of bolts 86. The cover member 57 is secured in place to seal the reservoir by a series of bolts 81.

The abutments may be provided with counterbalance means such as bore holes if necessary to smooth out the rotary motion. To make the operation of the engine more eflicient bleed lines 88 to 9|. are placed about a portion of the periphery of the abutment so that any power fluid.

trapped in the pocket l6 can escape and be useful' on the piston. This cannot occur by the tooth groove 92. The gear member I3 is provided with laterally projecting cylindrical shoulders 94 on opposite sides thereof which rotatably engage in a cylindrical bore 95-and the teeth l8 of the gear l3 engage in an annular slot 93 provided on the inner side of the cylinder Although a preferred embodiment of this inventionv has been shown and described, variations coming within the true spirit and scope of the invention are to be determined by the appended claims.

What I. claim is:

1. A rotary engine comprising a housing having a ring-shaped cylinder therein provided with an annular slot on the inner side thereof, a shaft disposed axially of said: cylinder, a gear secured to said shaft Within said housing having the teeth thereof engaging within said annular slot, a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart pistons secured to said gear and engaging within said cylinder, said housing having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart abutment chambers communicating with saidcylinder, anabutment shaft journalled through. each chamber, an annular abutment in, each chamber fixed to an abutment. shaft and projecting interiorly of said cylinder, each abutment having a peripheral recess to receive a piston, a valve. chamber extending laterallyof andv communicating with each abutment chamber, a rotary inlet valvein each valve. chamber fixed toan abutment shaft, gear teeth carried by each abutment engaging said first gear, said cylinder having .anexhaust port between each abutment chamber.

2. Arotary engine comprising a housing having a ring-shaped cylinder therein provided with r an annular slot on. the inner sidethereof, a shaft disposed, axially of said cylinder, a gear secured to said shaft within said housing engaging in the slot thereof, laterally projecting cylindrical shoulders carried by said gear, a plurality of circumferentiallyspaced apart pistons secured to said gear and engaging within saidcylinder, said housing having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart abutmentv chamber-sv communicating with said cylinder, an abutment shaft journalled through each chamber, anannular abutment in each chamber fixed tov an abutment shaft and projecting interiorlyof said cylinder, each abutment having a peripheral recess to receive a piston, a valve chamber extending laterally of and communicating with each abutment chamber, a rotary inletvalve in each valve chamber fixed to an abutment shaft, gear teeth carried by each abutment engaging said first gear, said cylinder having an exhaust port between each abutment chamber.

MART C. PERKINS. 

